Food blogs appeal to those who crave a personal connection with the source of their food, including a sort of personal relationship with those who provide recipes. Even with such a modern, technologically savvy platform, food blogs remind me of a time when recipes were shared among family and friends, neighbors or passed down from generation to generation. They allow a window into personal lives and the circumstances surrounding the food we eat, feeding our inner voyeurs as well as our tummies.
In this new age of social media, more and more mums and dads are looking to the Internet not only for answers to nagging parenting questions, but for support, friendship, a social network (that still works when you don’t get out of the house much) and recipes. The web has joined cookbooks and magazines as the newest popular source of kitchen inspiration, and has further allowed anyone with a laptop to become a food writer.
Although there are strong communities within both the food and parenting blog genres, some writers cross paths and address both issues – cooking and parenting – which makes sense when you’re responsible for raising and feeding your brood. Some food-slash-parenting blogs worth checking out:
Backseat Gourmet (www.backseatgourmet.blogspot.com): With an old career in food in her back pocket and childhood dreams of writing, Calgarian Cheryl Arkison jumped on the food-blog bandwagon. As a bonus, it really focused her family food goals in addition to providing the necessary creative outlet.
Under the High Chair (www.underthehighchair.com): Aimée Bourque spent ten years as a chef, and now finds her pickiest customers are her children. She writes and photographs Under the High Chair from Montreal.
Gastrokid (www.gastrokid.com): What is a Gastrokid? A kid who’s willing to boldly explore new culinary tastes and experiences. Two sets of parents with children started the blog, which has expanded to a Ning Social Network, Facebook page, Twitter feed and now a new cookbook.
Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding with Rummy Raisins
(From Aimée Bourque of Under the High Chair.)
Unsalted butter, room temperature, for ramekins
1/2 cup sugar, for dissolving
1 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup rum
1/3 cup hot water
1 1/12 cups firm pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 inch fresh cinnamon stick
Three whole allspice
1/2 Tonka beanPinch of salt
One 12-ounce, day-old loaf brioche cut into 3/4-inch cubes (or desired size)
Whipping cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter six, 10-ounce ramekins or custard cups. In a small, heavy bottomed pot, carefully dissolve 1/2 cup sugar and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Divide evenly among ramekins to coat the bottom and allow to cool. Place raisins in a small bowl, and cover with rum and the hot water; let soak until plump, about 20 minutes. Drain; set aside. Combine cinnamon stick, whole allspice and Tonka bean in a spice grinder and grind until fine. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, granulated sugar, milk, ginger, vanilla, spice mix and salt. Toss in the bread cubes, and stir gently to evenly coat; let stand a few minutes.
Maple Baked Beans
(From Cheryl Arkison of Backseat Gourmet.)
2 cups dried white or kidney beans
Or
2, 19-ounce cans of white or kidney beans, drained
6 slices bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups water, stock or bean cooking liquid
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. Dijon or yellow mustard
When using dried beans: soak the beans overnight with a handful of salt in water.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Drain and rinse the beans well. Cover with fresh water by at least two inches. Add half an onion (peels on) and a couple of unpeeled cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil in an oven proof pot or Dutch oven. Once the water is boiling, cover and place in oven to cook. Bake for one-and-a-half to two hours until the beans are tender to the bite. Drain, reserving remaining cooking liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Chop the bacon. Fry the bacon with a touch of oil to get it started. When the bacon is cooked, but not crispy, add the onions. Cook until the onions are tender and transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bake in a Dutch oven or oven-proof dish, covered, for an hour.Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a crisp salad and some fresh bread. And maybe a sausage or two. To make this dish vegetarian, omit the bacon and fry the onions in a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil.
Julie is a best-selling cookbook author, food writer, cooking instructor and the food and nutrition columnist on the CalgaryEyeopener on CBC Radio. She lives in Calgary with her husband and son, Wilem. Watch for her cooking show, It’s Just Food, with co-host Ned Bell on Access TV and CLT stations across Canada. For more information, visit www.dinnerwithjulie.com.
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